State Briefs

COLUMBUS -- The Ohio Supreme Court has upheld a state law that keeps a utility from earning excessive profits.

The state's high court on Thursday rejected an argument by American Electric Power that the utility should not have been assessed a penalty for taking excessive profits in 2009.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that the court, in a 6-1 decision, rejected AEP's argument that the penalty was based on a law too vague to be enforceable. The court also disagreed with business groups and consumer advocates who argued that the utility should have faced a larger penalty than the $42 million it paid.

The 2008 law gave utilities wide latitude to raise rates but also gave the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio the discretion to decide what constitutes excessive profit.

Threatening letters to Ohio

GOP lawmakers probed

COLUMBUS -- State law enforcement officials are investigating some threatening letters sent to a half dozen Republican Ohio House members this fall.

Each of the six lawmakers reportedly got the same letter in September, which also made threats against family members. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating.

An email obtained by WBNS-TV in Columbus sent by the Republican Caucus legal counsel to House members and staff noted that the letters contained "extremely aggressive and threatening language" from a group calling itself the "Army of the 12 Monkeys."

It's believed to be a reference to a 1995 film "12 Monkeys," set in a post-apocalyptic future where a terrorist organization is believed to have released a lethal virus.

The patrol declined to comment.

Ohio teacher charged with

possessing child porn

TOLEDO -- A Toledo special education teacher has been indicted on charges of having child pornography on his home computer.

The Toledo public school system had gotten no complaints about 49-year-old Bruce Omlor prior to the investigation and the district placing him in leave in April. The (Toledo) Blade reported that he was indicted in federal court this week on one count each of receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography.

The school system said nothing incriminating was found on Omlor's work computer, which was searched and returned to the school.

Since 2000, Omlor has worked with children with learning disabilities at Riverside Elementary School.